Mobile Schools in the Earthquake Zone
We launched our Mobile School project in late February to do two things: support children living in refugee camps across Port-au-Prince and to offer immediate employment to young Haitians to work with kids at a time when the whole economy has collapsed. With the generous support from the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund we were able to get schools up and running very quickly. Since late February we’ve been running Mobile Schools, three hours a day, five days a week, serving 1260 kids in 5 refugee camps in the earthquake zone.
This project has surpassed our expectations at every level.
Free Medical Clinics at the Aristide Foundation
Dr. Frantz Large providing eye exams on March 10
On March 10 and March 17 the AFD organized the first two in a series of large medical clinics to be held inside the auditorium of the Foundation. We called on the services of volunteers and doctors attached to the Foundation, notably the large team of young doctors who trained at UniFA (the University of the Aristide Foundation).
AFD Medical Team
On March 10 an AFD medical team of 52 doctors consulted 650 patients.
On March 17, 60 doctors saw a total of 1169 patients.
On both days services included: general medical care, as well as pediatric, eye, dental, gynecological, orthopedic and psychological care. The Haitian Ministry of Health (MSPP) sent health monitors to carry out vaccinations for all those who wanted them. The most commonly observed health problems observed were malnutrition, diarrhea in children, respiratory ailments, intestinal parasites, and untreated high blood pressure.
A volunteer opthamologist saw 152 patients on March 17, many of them people over 40, needing reading glasses. Access to eye care was extremely limited in Haiti even previous to the quake — right now there is the additional critical need to assist all the people who lost their glasses along with all their other possessions in the quake. The AFD was able to distribute reading glasses free of charge. Three dentists provided dental care to dozens of patients — 49 patients alone on March 17. We also distributed canned milk to all patients who are mothers of young children.
Two volunteer pyschologists were on hand at each clinic to work with people exhibiting symptoms of PTSD. They provided group counseling sessions to offer guidance and support for dealing with post traumatic stress.
These clinics are similar to the mobile clinics that the AFD has been participating in with Partner in Health. Now that the population has grown more comfortable being inside buildings we decided to put the huge space of the auditorium to use for these clinics and to offer additional services (dental, eye, and gynocological care). These weekly clinic will be ongoing for the next few months.
We would like to thank all the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others who are giving their time to staff the clinics. A special thank yous to Dr. Maxon Guerrier for donating not only his time but medical supplies, Dr. Frantz Large for his time and for donating the glasses which we are distributing to patients. We thank the Haitian Ministry of Health for sending health workers to carry out vaccinations, and Partners in Health for donating medical supplies. Finally a huge thanks to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund for agreeing to provide financial support for this project over the next three months.
Medicine were provided free of charge
AFD Clinic March 10, 2010
International Women’s Day – 2010
Yves Marie Stuart Roche, coordinator of the AFD Mobile School Project speaks at Women's Day Event
On March 8, 2010 three thousand women gathered at the Aristide Foundation to mark International Women’s Day, under the banner “Women of Haiti say, Haiti will not Die”. These women, coming from all over the greater Port-au-Prince area, mobilized both to honor those who were lost in the quake, to affirm life for those who survived, and to affirm their right to participate fully in the rebuilding of their country.
3000 women gathered at the AFD for International Women's Day
Dr. Jessie Pierre Louis, the Medical Director of the University of the Aristide Foundation noted that in the wake of this massive disruption in the lives of all Haitians, it was the time as never before for the women of Haiti to bond together for their liberation. Far from being powerless victims, she called upon them to be ingenious and courageous, to become the engine of Haiti’s rebirth. She called on the women of Haiti, and women around the world, to echo the call of those gathered at the Foundation for the return of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his family to their homeland at this time of national need. (the full text of her remarks in French and Creole is below.)
An ecumenical service honoring the victims of the earthquake was led by Father Freddy Elie of the Parish of Fleuriot de Tabarre and Pastor Evens Dorelien of the Baptist Church of Lillavois. The program featured music by COLOMBE D’OR, the choir of the Aristide Foundation, made of of young people from the Tabarre area.
As part of the program the Foundation announced the beginning of a series of free primary care clinics, the first of which was held in the auditorium of the Foundation on Wednesday March 10th.
After the ceremony all the women present received a bag of food supplies to take home. Most of these women are living in refugee encampments around Port-au-Prince–all of them are struggling to feed their families under these incredibly difficult circumstances.
Discours de Dr. Jessie Pierre Saint Louis, Director Medical de UniFA (Universite de la Fondation Aristide)
C’est sur que le moment n’est pas a la fete mais plutot aux reflexions, aux mures reflexions, a de nouvelles reflexions sur nous memes haitiens, haitiennes, sur nous memes femmes d ‘Haiti, sur notre devenir.
Une pensee d’amour et de lumiere a l’endroit de toutes les femmes haitiennes tombees le 12 Janvier 2010, a l’endroit de tous les hommes et de tous nos enfants. Paix, amour, lumiere, qu’ils se reposent en paix.
Aujourd’hui 8 Mars 2010, c’est une journee de manifestations a travers le monde, c’est l’occasion de continuer a revendiquer l’egalite, de faire un bilan sur la situation des femmes dans la societe. Pour nous autres femmes haitiennes, c’est le moment plus que jamais a travers ce recul, cette descente dans le bas fond de la vie en commun pour que nous fassions le bond liberateur, le bond de la deliverance.
Femmes d’Haiti, loin d’etre des victimes impuissantes, nous devons etre des femmes ingenieuses, resistantes et courageuses face aux epreuves. A ce stade, la vie doit forcement continuer, la vie doit aller vers plus. Ainsi, va la vie.
Haiti, au moment ou nous parlons est sous les levres de tous les citoyens du monde. Nous avons une formidable occasion de repenser Haiti. Et, si du coup, on ecoutait les femmes ? Ne pourraient-elles pas etre de veritables moteurs du developpement durable ?. Et le developpement durable ne pourrait-il pas etre une chance pour les femmes? Le moyen de mieux les reconnaitre et de leur donner la place qu’elles meritent.
Fanm dayiti debou ! Nou se fos Ayiti, Ayiti pap mouri ! (Bis)
Mwen sonje 8 Mas 96 sa fè 14 lane, 3 Mil fanm te koupe kod lonbrit Fondasyon Aristide, yo ede l mache, yo ede l grandi. Chapo ba nou medam. Bondye ap retire n nan soufrans. Delivrans lan pa lwen. Pa gen pèn san sekou.14 lane aprè, se avèk fyète nou akeyi menm 3 Mil fanm yo ki prezan Jodi Lendi 8 Mas 2010 la pou di : Fanm se fos Ayiti, Ayiti pap mouri. (Bis)
Menm ane a Prezidan Aristide mennen ba nou yon fanm ayisyèn, bèl tèt fanm, konpetant, disipline, kourajez, familyal. Bravo Mildred, Chapo ba pou ou.
Jodi a nou mande tout fanm peyi dayiti ak Fanm lot bo dlo sonnen konn lanbi nan zorèy pwisans entènasyonal la pou retounen Doktè Jean Bertrand Aristide nan peyi li. Peyi dayiti gen yon vid politik k ap travèse l menm pwofondè ak vid tranbleman tè a lese pou nou. Prezidan Aristide plas pa w la toujou li rele tenn fas. Mildred nou ba ou yon manda tou louvri : pase pran Madan Jakob Majluta, Madan Tabou Mbeki pou rive jwenn Madan Obama ak Madan Clinton konsa, wa mande yo de ki mannyè Doktè Jean Bertrand Aristide ak Fanmi l poko ka tounen lakay li pou vin sipote, ankadre pèp ayisyen an nan soufrans tèt chaje n ap sibi la a.
Mwen menm, mwen se fanm, mwen se Medsen, mwen santi m fyè akote 45 lot kolèg mwen yo paske anpil ladan yo te pran fomasyon nan Fakilte Medsin Inivèsite Fondasyon Aristide. Prezans nou sou podyom nan genyen anpil siyifikasyon sitou lè nou pataje bèl moman sa a ak 3 Mil fanm djanm, 3 Mil Fanm vanyan, nan reflechi sou sitiyasyon lavi nou, lavi fanmi nou ak lavi peyi dayiti. Gras pou Granmèt la ki te ede n pran konesans nan domèn lasante. Jodi a,se avèk kontantman nou deside pote sèvis lasante bay pèp ayisyen an. Konsa, apati Mèkredi demen an, n ap komanse yon seri de klinik pou evalye Fanm yo, Timoun, Granmoun ak lot moun nan Oditoriyom Fondasyon Aristide.
Kidonk, Mèkredi 10 Mas la apati 8 tè nan maten n ap resevwa tout moun kita renmen fè yon evalyasyon medikal. Ap gen Doktè tout kategori : Entènis, Pedyat, Doktè Zye, Chirijyen, Dantis ak anpil Jeneralis. Konsiltasyon an gratis, medikaman gratis, Tès nan laboratwa gratis, linèt gratis tou. Pandan klinik la, n ap mete 2 Sikolog osèvis moun ki pi twomatize yo pou fè seyans gratis pou yo.
Fanm se sous lapè ! fanm se fos Ayiti, Ayiti pap mouri ! (Bis)
Je vous remercie.
Taba, 8 Mas 2010. Dr Jessie Pierre Saint Louis.
